Connections: Who are the BOV's Kington and Craig?

Mark Kington gets a high score of 94 out of 100 on Muckety.com's influence index, which maps the power of the one percent.

hawes spencer

Hunter Craig scores just 25 out of 100 on Muckety's influence index.

hawes spencer

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On a Sunday at a hastily convened meeting, three members of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors' executive committee voted to accept the resignation of President Teresa Sullivan, and a firestorm ensued. Rector Helen Dragas led the ouster of Sullivan with her BOV cohorts, vice rector Mark J. Kington and Charlottesville developer Hunter Craig. Who are they?

Mark Kington

The Tennessee native graduated from Darden in 1988, the same year as Dragas, and then became a cofounder of Columbia Capital with Mark Warner and Jim Murray. Warner went on to become governor and senator of Virginia, and he appointed Kington to the Board of Visitors in 2002. Kington contributed $131,000 to Warner's campaign for governor.

Kington was not reappointed to the BOV by Tim Kaine, but bounced back when Governor Bob McDonnell named him to the Board in 2010. Kington donated $82,632 to McDonnell's gubernatorial run, and $75,000 to McDonnell's Opportunity Virginia PAC.

Kington is the managing director of X-10 Management Corporation in Alexandria, and president of Kington Management Corporation.

Vice-rector Kington sits on the board of directors of Dominion Resources, upon which sit two other Board of Visitors rectors past and present: Thomas Farrell and Helen Dragas.

Kington and his wife, Ann, donated $1.5 million for a professorship in the environmental sciences department in honor of his parents. That amount was matched by Sonia Klein Jones and hedge fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones II, who most recently pledged $12 million for a yoga center at UVA.

Hunter Craig

Unlike other members of the Board of Visitors, real estate developer Hunter Craig did not attend the University of Virginia but graduated from Hampden-Sydney College. He was appointed to the BOV in 2010 by Governor Bob McDonnell, to whom he contributed $33,301 to the campaign and $25,000 to McDonnell's Opportunity Virginia PAC.

Previously, Craig served on the board of the University of Virginia Foundation, from 1995-2003, and he's on the board of Jefferson Scholars Foundation.

In the past few years, Craig has turned up in the center of some the area's biggest stories, most notably the sale of Biscuit Run as a state park and the ensuing scandal of how a bloated appraisal during the popping of the real estate bubble would have salvaged the money-losing development with conservation tax credits.

Craig is now suing the state for using its own appraisal Biscuit Run, for which he's seeking nearly $20 million.

In May, Craig himself survived an ouster attempt from the board of Virginia National Bank, which he cofounded in 1998 with his father-in-law, former concrete magnate Wick McNeely, and SNL founder Reid Nagle. Some members were concerned that Craig had pledged his shares of VNB stock to secure a loan with another bank.

Real estate developers -- god bless them. VPAP regularly shows they buy more politicians than anybody in the state. If they existed in Shakespeare's day the lawyers wouldn't have to put up with that quotation.

It would seem that the Darden School's moral compass was out of kilter in the late 80's.

SAmB June 18th, 2012 | 3:39pm

Seems like education has taken a back seat to power and greed.

jlanderson June 18th, 2012 | 6:17pm

What is apparent is all these people have virtually no ideology, philosophy or belief systems. Give tens of thousands of dollars to a liberal Democrat one election cycle ... four years later give tens of thousands of dollars to a conservative Republican. It makes no difference, because it's all about access and power.

Just like Paul Tudor Jones II giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to Barack Obama in 2008 and now raising and giving hundreds of thousands of dollars today for Mitt Romney.

They have no moral compass at all.

And you know? If the "smart" money is on Mitt Romney pulling off the upset in November, well, that's enough to make this Eisenhower/Reagan Republican cast a ballot for Obama.

jimi hendrix June 18th, 2012 | 6:19pm

Noooooo.... Uva has always needed power and greed to pay its bills. Could not do it without those guys.

The Truth Shall Make You Free June 18th, 2012 | 9:16pm

Several Questions:

1. If this issue is about fund raising, why not fire Bob Sweeney. His projections for the campaign were overstated. Bob is not a player in this town,. He sees himself and his staff as above the mere peons in Charlottesville. What has he ever done for Cville?

2. Has anyone looked into the Dragas family background? My sources in Hampton Roads paint a picture of highly questionable ethics and behavior on the part of this firm. While it is clear that all the Greeks in HR hate each other, there must be some grain of truth in what they say. Did Mickey D's law firm do any work for the Dragas folks before he became Gov? Keep looking, follow the money and the truth will out.

3. Who is this person who is an ex-officio member of the BOV? And why make him the interim president?

4. The PR firm of the Rector is being paid by which UVA Foundation? I seriously question this expense as a proper use of University funds.

Many questions, all need answers!

Southside Johnny June 19th, 2012 | 10:24am

Haws, u been hangin out in Belmont? The Gov. does not have the "juice" to elevate a BOV member to Rector.

VA Girl June 19th, 2012 | 2:11pm

I thought that Mark Giles was the co-founder of VNB.

Southside Johnny June 19th, 2012 | 2:23pm

He was!

UnderHoo June 22nd, 2012 | 3:18pm

I love it when anonymous posters comment on who has and does not have a moral compass, and base the declaration strictly because of political donations instead of a full evaluation of the individual. Shall we judge people strictly from the viewpoint of the press? Who are motivated by advertising dollars?

Does anyone see the irony?

There is no mention of how generous BoV members are with local and national charities. I think it is best to judge people when you know the whole story. If you are reporting on specific people, this is such a slim part of the story. Dig into more details, but please don't report any of the good stuff, that wouldn't be so interesting, right? No one wants to read the flattering things about anyone on the BoV at this time, right? That would be telling the WHOLE story. No one wants the whole story anymore, just the negatives. Just the shocking stuff or the unflattering parts. And colleges spelled incorrectly. And details missed (Mark Giles) or forgotten.

Would you all like to be judged based on 2 or 3 lines from your checking account register?

"...These people have no ideology, no belief systems..." I don't recall the reporter asking them for their belief systems. They have belief systems, you just aren't privy to them and if you were, would they have to be identical to your own to be acceptable?

Simply put: donating to politicians does not equal a lack of morals. In my opinion.

Lastly, there would be no UVA if donors didn't write checks. The little checks are great for school morale and keeping people engaged and interested, the big checks make things happen.

Southside Johnny June 22nd, 2012 | 4:34pm

Extremely well said, UnderHoo, and thank you! BTW, it is that darn evil 1% that gives and gives and creates all the job and provide the "OCCUPIERS" with the opprotunity for a wonderful education.

Have we forgotten the generous gift from John Kluge to The University??? 10,000 acres of prime land in Albemarle County. Just one of many by the 1%.................< ; ))

Cville Eye June 23rd, 2012 | 12:10am

@Mo' big bidness!, great observation.
"BTW, it is that darn evil 1% that gives and gives and creates all the job and provide the "OCCUPIERS" with the opprotunity for a wonderful education." What a ridiculous statement, Southside Johnny, ridiculous and untrue. The 1% do not fund every institution of higher learning in this country. They do not have enough money to.

Southside Johnny June 23rd, 2012 | 3:50pm

Neither do they have the $$$$ to cure the Federal Deficit!!!! The Buffet Plan that taxes "millionairs and billionaires" that BHO kepts talking about would only add $48 B to the Treasury over the next 10 years and the deficit is expected to, at the rate we are going ,increase by $7 TRILLION!

BTW i ain't "big bidness". i just have common sense which ain't very common.......< ; ))